Sexy as Sin
by F91
Summary: Contrary to popular belief, Vice is the one I'm in love with. So here's a bunch of shorts focusing on the sinfully sexy sniper. Expect mainly Teana/Vice and a little Alto/Vice.
1. Sin and The White Devil

The majority of my fics involve Yuuno for two main reasons: #1, he's in a place within the relationship web where he can work in a variety of situations. There's a lot of potential for him to get involved in all sorts of events. #2, he's vastly underappreciated. The guy deserves some credit, but instead he's hated for very stupid reasons. Since no one else will give him props, I have to do it myself. Plus, since the ship war is the only thing the fandom seems to talk about ever, it's always fresh on the mind. I've always been one to defend those who are unjustly persecuted.

While I do like Yuuno, my heart belongs to Vice. I could go on for pages about how awesome and sexy that man is, but I'll spare you. I feel he got pretty good treatment in StrikerS, especially since he's a minor character (and a male), so I never felt a strong need to write fics about him. Aside from Special Interest (which will be referenced in these stories), I've never had any ideas that could make a fic of decent length. Here I decided to bunch them all together in this collection. I should probably mention that I'm not too concerned about having every little detail 100% accurate. So if you see any inconsistancies, please don't mind them. I certainly didn't.

For the most part, these little stories will focus on Vice interacting with various characters. Teana and Alto will be the only ones to have any sort of romantic inclinations towards him, though.

* * *

"They're working as hard as always, I see."

Nanoha briefly turned to look at the man who joined her before returning her gaze to the young forwards off on the training grounds.

"They all have a lot of potential." She said. "Would you like to join in too, Vice-kun?"

The helicopter pilot looked to see Subaru getting swatted away by Vita's hammer. The blue haired girl went flying through the simulated trees.

"… I think I'll pass." Vice answered. "I like my bones where they are."

Nanoha giggled lightly. "Didn't you used to be a part of Signum-san's squad? I figured you'd be used to some punishment."

Vice shuddered. "Don't remind me. Signum-nee-san doesn't know the meaning of 'holding back'."

Nanoha laughed again. "That's true." They silently watched Teana shoot down several fake Gadget Drones. "To be honest, Vice-kun, I'd like to have you training Teana. You're better at sharp shooting than I am. I only specialise in long range bombardment."

"I gave that up already." He shook his head. "I'm just a helicopter pilot now, Nanoha-san."

Nanoha didn't respond. She understood full well what it was like to make a huge mistake and hurt herself and those around her. They had both taken steps to insure it wouldn't happen again. Nanoha had changed her methods, Vice had changed his vocation. But it seemed Vice's miss still weighed heavily on his mind.

"And boy, am I happy to have a chance to get my hands on a Type JF704!" Vice went on cheerfully. "Man, that baby handles smooth. The sound of those high quality rotors, that near-mirror sheen of the armoured plating. It's a beauty!" He shot a side glance to the woman beside him. "Of course, it's nothing compared to the beauty of a certain combat instructor."

Nanoha blinked once, then laughed. "Vice-kun, are you hitting on me?"

"If I was," he said. "How would you say I was doing?"

"Hm… I'd give you a five."

"Out of five?"

"Ten."

"Ouch." This time it was Vice who laughed. "Don't take it seriously. I value my life."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I don't want your fans to kill me."


	2. Sin and COURAGE

This chapter contains spoilers for GaoGaiGar Final.

* * *

"Geeze, where did that Subaru run off to?" Teana huffed as she wandered around the barracks. They had an early morning the next day, but the blue haired girl had yet to return to their room. Sure, Subaru's body could function on little sleep, but that was no excuse to be off fooling around somewhere.

Teana asked around, but not even Alto knew where Subaru was.

So here she was, walking around aimlessly. Well, it's not like the younger girl could be quiet for very long. She'd give away her position eventually.

"Wow! That's amazing!"

Right on cue.

Teana stopped in front of the door she heard her partner's voice coming from. Who was she causing trouble for this time…

She glanced at the nameplate on the door:

Vice Granscenic.

Teana froze. What the heck was Subaru doing in Sergeant Vice's room? Oh sure, the girl was friendly with virtually everyone, but being in a man's room at night was too suspicious!

And why did it have to be Vice of all people? No, wait, why would Teana care about that? I mean, it's not like she had any particular feelings for him or anything. The feel of his hands on hers, and his voice whispering in her ear as they built that model together flashed through her mind.

… Oh right! Subaru!

"Wow, it's huge!" A voice of hushed awe came through the door.

They couldn't be…

No, that's joke's too old.

Sure, Subaru was dumb and innocent, but Teana was sure that Vice wasn't the kind of man to take advantage of that.

Resolved, Teana knocked on the door. There came no response, so she knocked again.

"Um, excuse me." She added.

"It's open." The man's voice replied.

"Excuse me." Teana repeated as she entered the room. She saw that the pair were both in their sleep wear, sitting on the edge of the bunk. Neither turned to greet her. Their eyes were locked on to the vid screen. They were too engrossed in whatever they were watching.

"_CRUSHER CONNECT!"_ A voice shouted from the screen. Teana followed their gaze and saw a cartoon of a robot wielding what appeared to be a giant hammer of light.

She blinked. This was that 'anime' stuff, wasn't it? So this was the kind of show those models were from…

Because they had yet to notice her, Teana decided she might as well join them. You know, to wait until they snap out of it, of course.

She gently sat on the bed as well. Vice was now between the two girls, but Teana made sure to keep some distance between them.

And so she watched as brave heroes fought against impossible odds, culminating in the destruction of an entire universe.

… Or something.

Teana had no idea what was going on, but it couldn't really be helped. She had just walked in on the ending, after all. But it was clear to her that this group of heroes on screen had just won a tough battle, and were now about to make the ultimate sacrifice to save their youngest members.

"_We believe that the brave ones will return one day with the oath of courage… With the oath of courage!"_

With that final line from the narrator, it ended. Teana was sure she'd have a stronger reaction had she been familiar with the characters, but the intent was clear. She heard a sniffle from the girl on the other end of the bed. Sure enough, tears were streaming down Subaru's face.

'That Subaru's still a cry baby as always…' Teana mused. But then she heard another sniff directly next to her. Vice, too, was letting lose the water works.

Teana was baffled by this. She had never seen a grown man cry before. And over a cartoon, of all things…

"How epic was that?" He said, raising a fist. "Manly tears are being shed!"

"I believe in the oath of courage!" Subaru declared.

"I said you were going to love it, Subaru." He said. "Those guys on Earth sure know how to tell a story!"

"Thanks so much for showing me that, Vice!"

…Wait, first name basis?

Tired of being ignored, Teana cleared her throat.

"WAH!" The other two jumped.

"… How long have you been there, Teana?" Vice asked.

"Since they formed that big hammer." She said. "I came looking for Subaru, and you told me the door was open."

"Did I say that?" Vice wondered.

"I guess we were too into it." Subaru smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Tea."

"Whatever." Teana huffed. "Anyways, it's time for bed, Subaru. Let's go."

"Okaaay!" The short haired girl got up and headed to the door. "See you tomorrow, Vice!"

"Yeah. Feel free to drop by any time. I've got plenty of other great shows!"

"I will!"

Teana frowned. She felt like she was being left out.

"You can come too if you want, Teana." Vice added. She was caught by surprise.

"S… Sure…"

X-X-X

The next day during training, Teana sat back and watched Subaru spar with Vita. The roller blades sped around in an attempt to avoid being flattened by the giant hammer.

"How's it going?" Teana turned suddenly when Vice appeared beside her.

"Um… I'm fine… but what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Subaru wanted to show me something." He answered.

"Vice! Look over here!" Subaru called. "Vice Captain Vita, could you turn around for a minute?"

The redhead blinked in confusion, but complied.

"Now hold out Graf Eisen in front of you."

Vita stretched out her arms. "Like this?"

Yup!" Subaru moved back a little and took a deep breath. "HAMMER CONNECT!" She shouted as she grabbed the back of Vita's shirt. She easily lifted her tiny trainer off the ground. "GOLDION HAMMER!"

Teana gawked, Vice laughed his ass off, and Vita erupted.

"PUT ME DOWN YOU IDIOT!"


	3. Sin and Shari

Teana entered the mess hall with the intention of getting some food. It was lunch time, so that was only natural. As she had expected, there was a fairly large crowd gathered already.

After getting her tray of food, she began the arduous search for an empty seat. She managed to spot one over the heads of her peers and walked towards it. When she had a clear line of sight to the table, however, she frowned.

It wasn't because Vice was sitting at that table. It also wasn't because Shari was sitting with him. It was because the pilot and the glasses wearing mechanic appeared to be having a lively conversation. Their mouths opened wide with mirth as they spoke, their hands making meaningful gestures. Their eyes didn't just sparkle, but they blazed with the intensity of a summer wild fire.

Oh, they were certainly enjoying themselves. Perhaps a bit too much for Teana's liking.

But aside from that she wouldn't admit was envy, there was something else about seeing Shari and Vice being enthusiastic together… It was…

"What about a giant rocket booster?" Teana heard Vice suggest when she got closer.

"That's good!" Shari said back. "A big spike attached to the arm is nice too!"

"They definitely have to combine!"

"And the ultimate attack will be a huge beam blast!"

"Oh, I didn't know Shari-san liked those giant robot shows too." Teana ventured as she sat down. The other girl looked at her.

"Hm? Oh. Actually," Shari said. "We were talking about new features to add to your devices!"

It was… Scary. Yes. Very, very scary!

* * *

Ahhh, I love Shari. I always liked the idea of Vice and Shari running around causing mischief. If some one more creative than I wanted to write a fic about that, I'd definitely read it.


	4. Sin and Children

Vice finished his last system check. Everything appeared to be in order after the copter's routine maintenance.

But trusting read outs was boring. Vice preferred to test things out first hand.

After clearing it with Long Arch, he prepared the helicopter for take off.

"We all clear, Storm Raider?" Vice asked his device.

"**We seem to be carrying excess weight."** The feminine voice replied.

"Huh? What could be…" He swivelled around and found he wouldn't have to go any further to locate the 'excess weight.'

The little stowaway and her bunny looked up at him with mismatched eyes.

"Hey there, kiddo." Vice smiled. "What are you doing here?"

Vivio squirmed a little and clutched her stuffed rabbit closer. "Zafira got lost." She said.

"He did, did he?" Vice didn't believe that for a second. "Do you want me to…" He didn't bother finishing because the child had shifted her attention from him to the blinking lights of the control panel.

"What are you doing, mister?" She asked.

"I was just getting ready to go flying." He answered.

"You can fly like Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama?" Vivio looked at him in awe.

"Unfortunately, no." He hated having to see her deflate like that, so he continued quickly. "It's this helicopter that does the flying."

Vivio's eyes shone with amazement again. "Really? This big thing? But isn't it too heavy?"

Vivio had ridden in the helicopter before, but Vice took a moment to remind himself that she had been unconscious at the time. That was certainly no way to enjoy the experience.

"Why don't you hop into that seat and I'll show you." He gestured to the co-pilot's seat.

"Ok!" Vivio climbed into the chair and sat, her feet not even coming remotely close to reaching the floor.

"All set?" Vice asked.

"Yup!"

"Ok then. Storm Raider, lift off!"

"**Lifting off."**

The muted hum of the rotors vibrated through the cabin. Vice pulled back on the stick, and the scenery out the window fell away. Vivio sank slightly into the cushions as the machine made its ascent.

Vice levelled off at a reasonable altitude. "And now we're flying." He said. "You can get up if you want."

Vivio did so and walked over to the window. She let out various 'ooooh's and 'ahhhh's as she looked up out of it.

"Mr Cloud is so close!" She exclaimed.

Vice couldn't keep the smile away even if he wanted to. There was nothing like the innocent fascination that only a child could have. A chuckle joined his grin as he watched the girl hop like the bunny she held in her arms. She was attempting to see the ground below.

"Storm Raider, take over for me."

"**You got it."**

He walked over to Vivio and put his hands under her armpits. She let out a little squeak when he lifted her up.

"There, that should be better." He said. Vivio let out a long gasp as she looked at the ground below.

"That's where we live!" She cried, pointing to the roof of the Riot Force 6 building.

"That's right." The copter flew over a tuft of trees. Streaks of light of varying colours could be seen shooting through the foliage. "Looks like your mamas are hard at work."

"They're so tiny!" After a few more minutes of sight seeing, Vice's arms began to tire.

"I think it's time we head back." He said.

"Awwww..." Vivio protested as Vice placed her back on her seat.

"Now now, don't be like that." He chided. "We can't stay up here forever. Besides, I bet your babysitter is wondering where you are."

"Ok…" She muttered, dejected. Vice sighed, yet a smile still lived on his face.

"But if you ever want to ride up here again, you just come talk to Mister Vice."

"Really?" Vivio shone.

"It's a promise." Vice held out his pinkie finger. Vivio returned the gesture and they linked. They broke apart and Vice resumed manning the control stick. He steered it back towards the base.

Vivio lightly kicked her feet as she stared at the control panel again. There she saw a shiny red button. Before she knew it, her finger made its way forward.

"What does this button do?" She asked.

"Hm?" Vice shot a quick glance to the side. The tiny finger was just about to make contact. "Oh, that button. That button will make us burst into flames and crash into the ground." He waited a beat before turning his head.

Vivio stared back at him, hand frozen in mid air. Her face was one of utter terror.

"Still want to push it?"

Vivio frantically shook her head. He couldn't keep a straight face.

"Don't worry." He chuckled. "I was only kidding. It's ok to push it."

Vivio turned back to the button, hesitated, then shifted back to Vice. He just smiled back at her. Shakily reaching for the button again, she pushed it and jerked her hand back as if the panel would bite her.

Fluid sprayed onto the windshield and was quickly batted away by the wipers.

X-X-X

They landed safely. The man, the girl, and the bunny disembarked.

"Now then, let's go see your moms." Vice said. He looked down to see her staring up at him again. "What is it?"

"You're tall." She said. He laughed.

"Well of course. I am an adult."

"Then will I be tall like you when I'm an adult?"

"Sure, so long as you eat right." He replied. "But for a quick fix, let's combine!" Vice picked Vivio up under her arms again and lifted her over his head. He placed her so she sat comfortably on his shoulders.

"Ooooooh!" She cheered. "I'm even taller than Fate-mama now!"

"You sure are." Lightly holding the child's ankles, Vice headed off in the direction of the training grounds. When they arrived, they saw the trainers overlooking the trainees who were sprawled out on the grass. Beaten and exhausted, as usual.

"Mama!" Vivio called. Nanoha and Fate turned in their direction.

"Vivio!" Nanoha said back. "What have you been up to?"

"I got to ride in the helicopter!" She beamed, throwing her arms into the air. "And now I'm super tall!"

"I can see that. Sounds like you had fun." The brunette smiled. "Sorry if she troubled you, Vice-kun."

"No trouble at all." He said. The invincible combination of Vicevio separated and the child was placed in her mother's open arms. "Well, I better get back to work." He ruffled the girl's hair. "See you later, kiddo."

"Bye bye, Mister Vice!" She waved at him as he walked away. "Don't forget your promise!"

"I won't!" As they parted, a memory played in Vice's head.

"_Onii-chan! Onii-chan! Can I ride on your shoulders?"_

"_Ok, ok. Up you go, Laguna!"_

"Kids," He mused. "Are so cute at that age."

* * *

I hope the intent of Vice being a big brother figure got across. A certain some one would come and yell at me if she thought I was trying to shoe horn him into a fatherly role ;)

Anyways, Vivio is adorable.

And yes, I do read Yotsuba&!


	5. Sin and Youth

It was a rare day off for the folks at Riot Force 6. The trainees were all bruised and sore from all the training, so the captains decided to take their subordinates to one of Mid Childa's hot spring resorts. And it was Vice's job to get them there.

Nanoha, Vivio, Vita, Subaru, Teana, Fate, Signum, Erio, and Caro all filed into the helicopter and promptly filed out when they arrived.

Since he was already there, Vice figured he might as well take a dip himself. When they reached the baths, an amusing scene took place.

"Come on now, Erio. You didn't come in with us that time on Earth, so why don't you join us this time?" Fate asked her ward.

"Yeah, Erio-kun." Caro added. "Let's all have fun together!"

"Um… well… that's…" The boy stuttered. "No… I…"

Vice sighed. He supposed he could 'save' the kid from his [enviable] predicament.

"Now now ladies." He said, throwing his arm around Erio's shoulder. "If you take Erio away, then I'll be all alone in the men's bath. Come on, kid. Let's go." Vice lead Erio away, ignoring the sounds of protest that came from the girls.

"Thank you, Sergeant Vice." Erio exhaled when they entered the changing room.

"It's not really something to thank me about." The older male replied as he stripped. Naked as the day they were born, the guys entered the bath, gave themselves a quick wash, and sunk into the naturally heated water. "Ahhhh. Now this feels great."

"You said it." Erio could feel all the training aches drain from his body. After a moment of blissful silence, the pilot spoke.

"You know, you should enjoy it while you can." He said. "You'll miss it when you're older."

"… What are you talking about?"

"Getting to bathe with the girls."

Erio shot up out of the water, his face red from something other than the steam. "W-What are you saying! I couldn't do that!"

"Why not?"

"It's…" He sunk back into the water. "Embarrassing…"

"Any guy would kill to have the chance to be welcomed into the holy land of the women's bath."

"W-Well… I'm not like that…"

"Hmm…" Vice hummed. "Maybe it's because you've already gotten yourself a cute little girlfriend."

"Ha?!" Erio shot up again. "G-Girlfriend?"

"Yeah." Vice nodded sagely. "You and Caro are adorable together."

"C-Caro?! No! It's nothing like that! We're siblings! I mean… well… we're not really… but… uh…"

Vice had to chuckle at how flustered Erio was. "Well, you've held hands already, right? How much farther have you gotten? Have you kissed?"

"No!"

"Groped her?"

"That was an accident!"

"Oh ho…" Vice smirked.

Erio sunk back into the water. "Please stop teasing me, Sergeant…"

"Come on now, Erio. We're two men naked in the bath together. There's no need for rank."

"O-Ok then, Vice-san…"

"That's better. So," He went on. "You don't have any special feelings towards Caro?"

"Wha… No… I mean… I don't know…" The boy sighed.

"Hmm… Perhaps you have eyes for some one else?" Vice suggested. "Maybe an older woman?"

"D-Don't be stupid! I-I don't feel that way about Fate-san!"

"Who said anything about her?"

"Ah! Well… I mean…"

"Can't say I blame you. She's a real beauty."

"No! It's not that…" Erio splashed water in his face to give himself a moment. "I just… haven't decided how I see her. As a mother or a big sister…"

"Or as a woman?" Vice ventured.

"That's…"

"Don't worry about it." Vice smiled. "You're young. You have plenty of time to sort out your feelings."

"Well… What about you, Vice-san?" Erio attempted to turn the tables.

"Me?" He looked skywards thoughtfully. "I've had a couple of girlfriends myself over the years." His smile inverted. "Come to think of it, they all broke up with me for the same reason…"

"What reason was that?"

"You care about your sister more than me! Or something stupid like that." The man scoffed. "Well, I don't need a girl who has a problem with a brother caring for his sister."

"So you have a sister, Vice-san?"

"Yup. She's about your age. Her name's Laguna." Before the unpleasant memories surfaced, Vice continued on. "But anyways, I'm not really looking for romance right now. I'm just enjoying being part of Riot Force 6."

"Riot Force 6 really is a nice place to be." Erio smiled back. The blissful silence returned, but it was a girl's voice that broke it this time.

"Erio-kun! I'm coming in to join you!"

"C-Caro!" Erio gawked as she walked in. His quickly averted his gaze from the girl's towel clad form. "D-Don't come in!"

"Why not?" She asked. "It's ok, isn't it?"

"No! Uh… Um… Vice-san is in here too!"

"I don't mind." Vice grinned. Caro slipped in next to Erio.

"It's so much nicer taking a bath with more people!" She beamed. Erio turned his body away from her. "What's wrong, Erio-kun?" She moved to face him, but Erio kept turning around. Vice watched on in amusement. They were going to be dizzy, and not from the heat.

Since the two youths seemed sufficiently distracted, Vice inched his way over to the bamboo wall that separated the men and women's baths.

"Vice," Signum's voice stopped him. "If you try to peek, you'll become a stain on Laevatein."

Tsk.

"Considering how many quality babes are on the other side of this wall, I think it'd be worth it." He said back.

"… Flattery won't stay my blade."

"It was worth a shot…"

* * *

There's something about shotas voiced by Marina Inoue that girls find irresistable. Japan seems to love pairing Erio with Fate, and nobody hates him because of it. Hmm...

Due to poor planning, I ended up hiking up a mountain road for three hours to get to a hot spring one winter night in Alberta. Boy did that suck.


	6. Sin and Signum

Signum stared at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"What's up, nee-san?" Vice asked as he approached her.

"Hm? Oh, Vice." The pink haired woman replied. "I was just pondering something."

"What would that be?"

"I've noticed that many of the male staff members act oddly around me." She said. "They never seem to be able to look me in the eye when they speak to me. They act all fidgety and sometimes they get funny looks on their faces."

"… Nee-san…" Vice stared at her dumbly. "You honestly have no idea what that means?"

"Should I?"

Vice sighed. He knew better than most that Signum was pure warrior, but could she really be that oblivious to things that didn't involve swinging a sword around?

"How should I say this…?" He pondered. "Nee-san, you're, well, pretty hot."

"The temperature is quite mild, actually."

"No, no. I mean you're very attractive. As a woman." He added. "Men want to get with you. Physically."

"Is that so?" Signum recalled her mistress making similar comments. She never gave them much thought. Her duty as the leader of the Wolkenritter was what she mainly concerned herself with. The idea of romance had never crossed her mind. Being with Hayate and her comrades was enough for her.

"Heck, even I had a crush on you when I joined your squad." Vice admitted. On top of her beauty, the knight's unwavering spirit and skills with her sword were captivating to the eyes of a young boy. "Course after that time you sent me to the hospital for two days, admiration got mixed with fear. You turn off a lot of guys that way."

Indeed, many detested 'Signum the ice queen.' Vice regarded them as fools. They couldn't see the unique brand of compassion that lived under the tough exterior. He'd crack the skulls of anyone he caught bad mouthing his nee-san.

"Oh? Then what of the ones who seem to purposely make errors in my presence? I give them a scolding, yet they seem to be in bliss afterwards."

"Those, nee-san, are masochists."

"Ah. Well, I don't suppose I have much interest in such things. Besides, I doubt I'm suited for a young man in that sense."

"I guess that applies to every guy in the universe." Vice grinned. "Since nee-san is so ol…"

"Do you want to have another stay in the hospital, Vice?"

"No m'am."

* * *

The crack about Signum's age was all I really wanted to say. But I had to lead up to it some how. It turned out... decent, I suppose. Could have been better. I figure Vice is just as protective a little brother as he is a big brother.

I do think Signum is physically attractive, and I do admire her strength. She is very cool, but I can't really see her as a potential romantic partner.


	7. Sin and The City

Long chapter is looooooong. This was my original idea for a follow up Teana/Vice fic, but when I decided to go for the anthology route, it had to wait its turn (cuz I like keeping things in a somewhat chronological order). There are lots of references in here. See if you can catch them all!

Disclaimer: Aside from the games/DVDs themselves, I don't own the rights to Nanoha or any of the other series I reference/blatantly steal characters and lines from. It's all in the nature of fun.

* * *

It was another free day for Riot Force 6. Commander Yagami had decided that all work and no play made Forwards a dull boy… Or something. Teana thought that comment was off.

Anyways, like the pervious day off, Teana wanted to head into the city for a change of scenery. This time she would have to go alone, though, as Subaru was spending time with Ginga. Teana didn't wish to interrupt sibling bonding time.

She made her way towards the hanger in hopes of borrowing the motorcycle again. Zipping down the road at high speeds was a great way to pass the time. When she reached the hanger, however, she saw that her plans had been dashed. The motorcycle was already out and ready to go, but a casually clothed Vice stood next to it with a helmet tucked under his arm.

"Hey Teana." He greeted when he noticed her. "What's up?"

"Well, I was going to ask if I could borrow the bike." She said. "But if you're using it, Sergeant Vice…"

"Where do you need to go?" He asked.

"No where, really. I was just going to wander around the town…"

"Ok then, that's perfect." He smiled. "I'm heading into town too. Hop on and we'll go in together."

"Ah, no, I couldn't trouble you…"

"It's no trouble. Let's go." He grabbed another helmet and tossed it to her. Then he straddled the vehicle and patted the seat behind him. Since he was offering, Teana figured she might as well. She pulled on the helmet and sat on the bike. Vice started the engine, and Teana hesitantly placed her hands on his hips.

"Oh, you're going to want to hold on a lot tighter than that." He laughed. He pulled her hands around his waist, where she automatically linked them together.

Teana went red in the face. Their positions were reversed, but this was the second time her body had been so closed to his. Oh sure, she was used to physical contact thanks to Subaru, but being that way with a man carried a whole slew of different implications.

Now that she thought of it, her brother had been the only other male she had been that close with.

"Off we go!" Vice cheered as he revved the engine. And away from the base they shot. Teana wasn't prepared for _that_ much acceleration right out of the gates. But once the shock was out of the way, the thrill kicked in. It must have been because she wasn't the one driving, but the fact she couldn't predict what the man would do next made her blood pump that much faster. The way he whipped through the turns and swirled around slower vehicles had her completely overlooking the fact her chest was now pressed firmly against his back.

When he entered the city limits, Vice slowed down to obey the speed limit. Teana eased back.

"You're good at this, aren't you?" Teana noted. She could barely hear his response over the beating heart in her ears.

"Were you expecting any less?" He grinned. Vice found some parking and shut down the bike, securing it. He dismounted while Teana allowed herself a deep breath to let the adrenaline settle.

"So, when do you want to meet back here?" The man inquired. Teana considered it for a moment. It's not like she had any particular plans, so…

"Actually…" She started. "If you don't mind… I'd like the accompany you, Sergeant."

"Sure, I could go for the company. However." He paused. "It's our day off. Forget about rank."

"Ok, Vice…" Teana didn't feel quite right about simply using his name. If it wasn't rank, there was only one thing to call some one who was her senior in so many ways. "… Sempai."

Vice nodded his approval. "Then let's go." He headed off and Teana followed closely behind him.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"To a shop my buddy owns." He answered. After a brief walk, they stood in front of the store. The sign read 'Katagiri Komics.'

"I don't think that's spelled correctly." Teana murmured.

"Don't worry about little things like that." Vice pushed through the door. "Heya, Billy. How's business?"

"Hello Vice. Good to see you." The spectacled man behind the counter greeted. His long brown hair was tied in a high ponytail. "What brings you here today?"

"Got a day off, so I figured I'd pop in to see your wares."

Teana glanced around the store at said wares. The shop was filled with shelves covered with figures and boxes of figures. She wasn't surprised to see robots, but there were also various creatures and humans in different outfits. There were also shelves lined with books and other printed media. Any area of wall that wasn't blocked by a display was covered by posters depicting machines, girls, or muscular men killing things.

Billy gestured Vice closer and whispered in his ear. "Hey, who's the cutie? That's not your sister. Bit young for you, don't you think?"

"It's not like that." Vice snorted. "Besides, you're not one to talk. How's Kujo doing?"

Billy coughed and didn't answer. "So, who is she?"

"She's a junior in the same division as me." He responded. "She's the leader of our Forward squad, so don't think she's just some kid."

"Hm, so she's a mage." Billy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What kind of device does she use?"

"She switches between single and dual pistols."

"A gunslinger just like you, then."

"Like I _used_ to be." Vice corrected him.

"Right, right. Well, I say give her a few years and you'll definitely have quite the catch on your hands."

"Shut up, you."

Teana, oblivious to the men's conversation, continued browsing the shop. She quickly learned that not all of the items had to be built and came pre-assembled. The craftsmanship was remarkable. So much detail and care went into each piece.

When she looked up at a higher shelf, she frowned. She was staring up a plastic girl's skirt into a panty-clad fanny. Teana could respect attention to detail, but was this really necessary? Well, she concluded there really were people out there who got off on that sort of thing. She shot a glance over her shoulder.

"…What's with that judgmental look she's giving us?" Billy mumbled. "Ah, Miss, if you don't find anything that interests you, that section over there is more popular with our female patrons." Billy gestured to a rack of comics. Teana walked up to it and read the sign aloud.

"No climax, no point, no meaning?" She blinked. That didn't sound too interesting. Vice had to quickly slap his hand over his mouth as he watched on expectantly. Teana picked up a random book and flipped through it. The drawings were very clean and crisp. It looked very good in her eyes. The story seemed to revolve around two males who…

She slammed the book shut when she saw the first mosaic. "W-What is this?" Tomato face demanded. Vice's hand couldn't stifle his laughter anymore.

"Oh man, Teana. Your face right now is priceless!"

Teana glowered. She didn't see what was so funny. "A-Anyways, is it really ok to let minors look at something like this?"

"Oh? I would have figured you were mature enough to handle it."

Great, now he was treating her like a kid. She hated that more than being tricked.

"I-I was just surprised, that's all." She huffed, putting the book back on the shelf.

Vice let her steam and turned back to Billy. "So my friend. Have you got the fastest speed and the strongest sword for me?"

"If you're talking about the Susanowo, I'm afraid I haven't gotten it in stock yet."

"That sucks." Vice puffed. "Well, let me know when you get it in."

"You got it."

"Alright, you ready to go, Teana?"

Teana could have been snarky, but she decided that pouting about what happened earlier would hardly impart the mature and womanly image she wanted Vice to see. So she simply nodded and followed him out the door.

"Please come again!" The shop keep's call followed them.

"So, see anything you liked?" Vice grinned at her.

"N-No, I didn't." Teana recalled the plastic underwear and the naked men. Males and females, it seemed, were equally perverted.

"But man, your reaction to that doujinshi was so cute." He chuckled.

Gah, he just called her cute! That was… wait, was that a good thing or a bad thing? Regardless, Teana was desperate for a distraction. She needed anything to change the subject.

"Ice cream! Get your ice cream!" A vendor called.

Ice cream, perfect! Having their tongues preoccupied with the frozen treat was just the way to subvert awkward conversation! Subaru was always…

Teana thought of her partner and her juvenile obsession with ice cream. The sparkles in her eyes, the way she'd leap up and down in childish glee… Yes, childish. What would Vice think if she suggested ice cream? Would he think of her as a child again? Maybe she should…

"Ooo, ice cream!" Vice exclaimed. "You want some?"

… It seemed Teana was over thinking things. This was a man very much in tune with his inner child. It was their day off! She was meant to cut loose. Her sempai wasn't the sort of judgmental person who would think less of her if she had some fun. Rather than attempting to impress him, she should just be herself.

… It's not like she was trying to impress him or anything!

"Sure, I'd like some." She answered with a smile.

X-X-X

So now the pair was walking down the street, licking their respective stack of multicoloured frozen dairy product.

"Nothing like some ice cream on a beautiful day." Vice commented. Teana nodded in agreement. While consuming, the two talked about Riot Force 6, the training the Forwards underwent, and the quirks of the various members.

"Subaru has always been like that." Teana explained. "She can make friends with just about anyone. She fit right in with the other Belka users at the academy, most of whom were guys. She was quite popular with them, even if she was too dense to realise it."

"Sounds like her all right." Vice popped the rest of the cone into his mouth. "Well, with all that energy, it's hard to imagine anyone disliking her."

"Well… Some thought she was just a spoiled girl getting by through her father's position." Teana frowned. She and Subaru had been pretty thoroughly ostracized at first.

"Wish I could have seen their faces when you whooped their asses through your effort and guts!"

"Yeah." Teana smiled again. "We showed them all right."

Vice checked his watch. "Still early…" He glanced around. "Hey! An arcade! Let's go there!"

Teana was starting to find the man's youthful sense of fun to be quite endearing. Of course it wasn't like he was old or anything. He only had a few years on her. Calling Vice 'old' would also be calling Nanoha 'old'. Teana pitied anyone dumb enough to do that. They wouldn't find all the pieces.

Teana hadn't really been in an arcade before, but it turned out to be just as noisy as she predicted. Dings, beeps, clacks, buzzes, and kabooms assaulted her ears. The cheers, jeers, and sneers of the patrons came in the second wave.

"I haven't been in one of those for awhile." Vice said. He glanced around at the selection of machines. It had the typical assortment of fighting games, racing games, beat-um up games, shooting games, rhythm games, air hockey tables, and claw machines. "What should we play first…?"

As they ventured deeper inside, they noticed a large crowd gathered by one of the games. Being taller than the majority of them, Vice could easily see over the heads. The audience was attentively watching as two young boys shot off the heads of zombies and other undead creatures. The light gun game was titled 'Residence of the Not Alive.'

The boys killed what appeared to be the last boss, and their final scores appeared. They then entered their names in the top score slot. Apparently their names were 'POO' and 'ASS'. How unfortunate. They holstered the guns and looked triumphantly at the boisterous crowd.

"Amazing!"

"They won!"

"I've never see anyone beat this game before!"

Poo and Ass were contented with the praise.

"Hmmm, not bad for a couple of kids." Vice noted. By some sort of super selective hearing, the boys managed to pick out the comment.

"What did you say?" Ass demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the bigger man.

"Huh?" Vice blinked. "I said you guys aren't bad."

"Not bad?" Poo shot back. "We owned this game! Don't talk like you could do better, old man!"

"Old man?" Although he smiled, Teana saw the vein in Vice's forehead. "Of course I could do better than a couple of brats. Heck, she could beat your score too. All by herself!"

"Wah, sempai!" Teana sputtered when he put both hands on her shoulders. "Don't drag me into this!" The boys and their apparent posse erupted into laughter.

"HAHA, yeah, right! Like some _girl_ could beat us!"

Teana felt the vein in her forehead pop too. There was no reason to believe a girl would be any worse at this kind of thing than a boy!

"Go on, Teana." Vice whispered to her. "Show them how a real gunslinger handles things."

Picking fights with kids was hardly the mature thing to do, but Teana wasn't thinking about that. "Ok, I'll do it." She decided. Vice slipped her two credits and she stepped up to the game. A quick glance at the instructions was all she needed. She slid the coins in both player slots and grabbed the guns.

She hit her marks with precise aim, never missing a beat even when she fired away from the screen to reload. She head shotted the walking corpses, grounded some flying hell spawn, attacked the weak point of the giant enemy crab for massive damage, and when she reached the final boss, she shot at it until it died.

The crowd was silent as her score, twice the amount of the others, appeared. She triumphantly inputted TEA on both sides of the scoreboard.

Poo and Ass were dumbfounded. Whatever was left of their egos could fit collectively into Rein's coffee mug. Teana suddenly felt bad for not holding back.

"Uh, don't take it too hard, kids." She said. "I have more experience than you, so… If you keep on practising, you'll be just as good in no time!"

"Do you mean it, big sis?" They said with sparkling eyes. Where did that politeness suddenly come from?

"That's right. Hard work makes anything possible."

"Alright!" Poo cheered. "Let's keep playing!"

"Yeah!" Ass echoed the enthusiasm. "We'll beat that high score some day!"

The boys prepared to dump the rest of their allowance into the machine. Teana slipped away and rejoined Vice.

"Nice work." He said.

"Thanks."

"Just remember to mind the position of your feet." He advised. "It'll give you a firmer stance."

"Yes sir."

Vice checked his watch again. "That sure ate up a lot of time. We should be heading out."

"Ok." Teana followed him in the direction of the exit, but something in one of the claw machines caught her eye. In with the yellow rat and green alien frog dolls was a simple plop of pink fabric. The only other feature was the black ovals that appeared to be eyes.

Something about it appealed to her greatly. Maybe it had some sort of connection to a past life or a parallel dimension.

Or perhaps it was because this single ordinary looking plushy was stuck in a pile of well known, super popular characters. It's very existence so easy to over look.

"So, you like that dango looking one?" Vice's voice cut in, making her jump.

"Wah! Ah… Um… Not really…"

"Ok, just leave it to me!" The man cracked his fingers dramatically and popped a coin into the machine. Motors whirred and lights flashed and the claw came to life. Vice gripped the joystick and manoeuvred it into the ideal position. He pressed the button and the claw fell. It securely gripped the little doll and pulled it into the air. The claw returned to its inert position, where it dropped the dango into the hole. He reached into the slot and handed it to his companion.

"Wow." She gasped. "I heard these things were impossible to win."

"Hey," Vice laughed. "I'm a helicopter pilot. Precision handling is my job."

"T-Thank you." Teana squeezed the toy lightly in her hands. It was so soft. This was the second present he had given her.

Soon they were back on the street and off to their next destination.

"So where are we going now?" Teana asked.

"This is why I came into town in the first place." Vice pulled out a flyer from his pocket and handed it to her. It advertised the opening of a firearms exhibit at the local museum. It boasted as having the largest assortment of guns from throughout the ages on display.

If she had known such a display existed, Teana would have made the time to check it out herself.

X-X-X

There were a surprising amount of people at the exhibit. Humans had the strangest fascination with things that could kill them. Teana was no exception. She was curious about the sleek, powerful, and strictly banned instruments of death that had predated items such as her Cross Mirage.

"Wow, that's the legendary M16!" Vice gawked. "And here's a Desert Eagle! This baby packs a punch! Check out the heavy artillery, too! There's an honest to God cannon! The kind that uses gun powder and cannonballs!"

Teana grinned. He was certainly enjoying himself. After looking at the glass encased rifles and shot guns, Vice stopped in front of a certain display, gaped, and nearly pressed his face into the window.

"Teana! You have to see this." He beckoned her over. Teana stood beside him and read the sign.

"A M1911A1?"

"It's been customized, too! First of all, the feeding ramp has been polished to a mirror sheen. It's not going to have any feeding problems. The slide's been replaced with a reinforced version. And it meshes perfectly with the frame. The frame itself has been iron-welded and scraped down multiple times for maximum precision. The front strap part of the frame has been checkered to make it dig into the hand. That prevents any slipping. The sight system's original, too. It's a 3-dot type. It's got an enlarged front sight, giving it superior target sighting capability. The regular hammer's been replaced with a ring hammer. That enhances the cocking speed and increases the hammer-down speed. They also reworked the grip safety to accommodate the ring hammer. Looks like they eliminated it altogether. This is a tool for pros. The thumbs safety and the slide stop are extended to allow for more precise handling. The base of the trigger guard is whittled down, so you can use a high grip. And the trigger itself is a long type for easy finger access. The trigger pull is about 3.5 pounds. That's about a pound and a half lighter than normal. The magazine well has been widened to make it easier to put in a new magazine. The magazine catch button has been cut down low to make it harder to hit by mistake. The mainspring housing has been changed to a flat type to increase grip. And it's even been fitted with stepping so that it doesn't slip from the recoil when firing. On top of that, they added cocking serrations to the front part of the slide. That lets you load and eject cartridges faster in an emergency. Whoever did this is a professional. No question – this thing could shoot a one-hole at 25 yards in a machine rest."

"… That's some gun."

"Yeah. How I wish I could use a weapon this fine once in my life!"

Vice molested the gun with his eyes for several minutes before Teana had to lightly yank him away. Others wanted to see it too. The man behind them's mouth twitched into a smile. While Teana and Vice checked out the Uzis, the man shed his jacket, wrapped it around his hand, and smashed through the glass. The alarms blared as he grabbed the pistol and pointed it into the crowd.

"Nobody move!" He shouted. "I know how to use this!"

The crowd let out a collective gasp, and several started to scream.

"Shut up!" The man with the gun yelled. "Unless you want a bullet in your skull! Now, take out all your valuables!" Several complied with the request.

"What do we do, Vice-sempai?" Teana whispered. She knew Vice was unarmed. If she had to, she could take the man out with Cross Mirage, but who knew if he could get some shots off before she could do so.

"Just leave it to me." Vice whispered back. He began to walk towards the man.

"Hey buddy! Stop right there!" The man threatened.

Teana wanted to ask what the hell he was doing, but she decided to have faith in her sempai. She still offered a silent prayer for his safety, though. She gripped the card in her pocket.

"Oh, and what will you do if I don't?" Vice asked casually, thumbs hooked on his pockets.

"I'll pump you full of lead!" The man shot back. "And don't think of me as one of those stupid criminals! I made sure the safety is off!"

"I see. Yes, that was certainly smart of you." Vice still didn't stop.

"I warned you!" The man scowled and pulled the trigger. Teana gasped and prepared to leap into action.

However, all that happened was that a loud, empty click echoed through the room.

"Huh?" That was all the criminal could get out. Vice crossed the distance in two bounds and delivered a right hook that would make Captain Falcon jealous. Blood and spit flung out as the man went spinning back into the floor.

"Too bad you weren't smart enough to realise they wouldn't put loaded guns on display!" Vice quipped as he shook the pain out of his hand. The crowd burst into cheers and Teana breathed a sigh of relief. Vice took the gun from the unconscious man's hand. He indulged himself in the sensation of holding the weapon before the security officers arrived.

X-X-X

The sky had turned orange by the time they left the museum. They had to relay what happened to the proper authorities. Once procedure was all taken care of, they were set free.

"Boy that was fun." Vice grinned. "What a way to end the day."

"I-I'm just glad you're ok." Teana admitted. "I was worried there for a second."

"I told you I'd handle it." He reminded her. Teana nodded. She wouldn't soon forget how calm he had been, and how cool he looked delivering that punch. "I can't believe I got to touch the M1911A1, though! I should thank that idiot."

Teana sighed happily. This guy was really something else.

"I guess it's time we went home." Vice suggested. And so they headed back to where they parked the bike. When they reached it, Vice spun around and tossed Teana the starter. "Here, you can drive. I'll hold your little friend for you."

"T-Thanks." Teana blinked. She wasn't expecting that. She handed Vice her stuffed item and tugged the ribbons out of her hair to put on her helmet more easily. Vice took a moment to consider her.

"You know, I think you look better with your hair down." He noted. Teana blinked twice.

"Y-You think so?"

"Yeah. Makes you look more mature."

"R-Really…" Teana looked away to hide her blush. She strapped on her helmet, started the bike, and hopped on. She soon felt his arms, plus a dango, wrap around her waist.

"All set." He said. Teana revved the engine and took off.

Since the day was ending, she decided to drive at a decent pace. It would just be a nice, relaxing ride back to base.

"Hey, pull over for a minute." Vice suddenly asked her. Curious, she complied. He just looked off into the distance. "Just take a look at that sunset."

Teana looked and watch the golden orb slip away below the land. Sunsets were all the same, but they were still… "Beautiful." She muttered.

"Thanks for tagging along with me today." Vice said after a silence. "I had lots of fun."

"So did I, Vice-sempai. So did I."

X-X-X

When Teana got back to her room, she made sure Subaru wasn't around and opened her special drawer. In it was the picture of her and her brother, her toy gun, and a green rifle and pistol wielding robot. She placed the stuffed dango in it as well.

Yeah, today had been fun.

* * *

Of all the characters in Nanoha, it is not Yuuno, but Teana I identify with the most. StrikerS eps 7-9 are still quite difficult for me to watch (in a good way). So to all my detractors, no, I am not living vicariously through Vice to get with Teana. If anything, I am living vicariously through Teana to get with Vice!

Bet you never imagined a perfectly straight male being able to admit that!

Anywho, now a guide to the references!

Billy Katagiri - Taken right out of Gundam 00. Graham's best buddy, and since Graham and Vice share the same VA, the choice was obvious.

Kujo - Also from Gundam 00. Sumeragi's real name. The object of Billy's affection, she is considerably younger than he is.

No climax, no point, no meaning - For those who might not know, this phrase in Japanese is "Yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi", which is commonly abbreviated as 'yaoi.'

Susanowo - The final mobile suit Billy made for Graham. The one mentioned here is just the model kit, of course.

Effort and guts - Gunbuster reference. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. **Now.**

Vice's age - Not a reference, but felt I should explain myself anyways. Vice's age is never stated (not even on the official website). However, in the manga Signum calls him an eight year vet, and implies that he was a kid when she first met him. So if they let kids like Erio join when they're 10, and Signum was comparing him to Alto and Lucino (who I think are 13-14), I assume Vice's age is around 18-21. There's also how he and Nanoha refer to each other in a rather familiar fashion (she calls him Vice-kun). I'm more inclined to believe he's around her age.

Residence of the Not Alive - Obvious bastardization of 'House of the Dead'

Giant Enemy Crab - If you don't know this one, youtube it.

Yellow rat doll - Pikachu, naturally

Green alien frog doll - Keroro Gunsou/Sgt Frog

The dango plushy - You know I just had to fit a Clannad reference in here somewhere! Teana and Vice share VAs with Nagisa and Tomoya. The doll is the same member of the 'Dango Daikazoku' that Nagisa loves so much.

The M1911A1 - Vice's dialouge is ripped word for word from Metal Gear Solid 3. I know next to nothing about firearms, so who better to turn to than Naked Snake and his famous fangasm over the gun Eva gives him?

Captain Falcon - You all should know this one!


	8. Sin and Sister

Teana paused in the hospital hallway. She debated whether she should turn back or not. Should she have gotten him flowers or something? Was it ok to show up empty handed? Well, it's not like he was badly hurt or anything. It was just a check up. He had left the hospital and went into the field prematurely, after all.

If he hadn't, though, she certainly wouldn't be standing where she was. She let her guard down and one of the cyborgs almost took her from behind. Fortunately, that ball of energy flitted through her hair and struck her attacker in the face. There was only one person she could think of that could make such a shot.

Her suspicions were quickly confirmed as he appeared, rifle against his shoulder. It was because of him that she and Subaru were able to make it into the Cradle to save their superiors.

Teana was only able to look on in awe as Vice skilfully shot down the gadget drones in their way. Such speed and precision, he even used the Variable Bullet with ease. It took a lot of skill to use that complex spell. He was simply amazing, but he admitted to being just an ordinary mage who had once made a big mistake. Teana had always been so harsh on herself for her mistakes, thinking she was weak. But he helped her realise that even the highly skilled made mistakes.

So Teana decided to greet him after his exam. She wanted to thank him for what he did. She finally willed herself to enter the waiting area. It was one of the smaller areas of the hospital, so there were only a few benches to sit on. Teana found herself alone, save for one exception.

A young girl sat on one of the benches. Her back was straight and her hands neatly folded in her lap as she waited. Thinking it might be less awkward if she wasn't alone, Teana approached the girl.

"Is it all right if I sit next to you?" She asked. The girl smiled up at her.

"Please, go ahead."

Teana sat and started squirming after a moment of silence. Ok, so it wasn't less awkward. "So… What's your name?" Teana attempted to strike up conversation. "I'm Teana. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Laguna." The girl bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you too."

"So… Are you waiting here for some one?" It was a stupid question, but it was better than silence.

"I'm waiting for my brother." Laguna said. "He's not hurt that badly, but the doctors wanted to have a look at him anyways."

"Ah, I see." Teana was glad it wasn't serious. She hoped this girl would never have to suffer the pain of losing her brother like Teana had. "What kind of person is your brother?"

"He's really cool!" Laguna beamed. "He's strong and he's funny. He's always taken care of me!"

"Sounds like you like him a lot."

"Yup!" She nodded vigorously. But then her gaze fell to the floor. "But something bad happened to me not too long ago… It wasn't really my brother's fault, but he kept blaming himself anyways… I haven't really gotten to talk to him since then… But!" She brightened again. "But now we'll talk and it'll go back to how it used to be!"

"That's good." Teana smiled. Love between siblings was a precious thing.

"What about you, onee-chan?" Laguna asked. "Who are you waiting for?"

"Me? Ah… well… I'm waiting for my senior. He really helped me out, so I want to thank him."

"What kind of person is he?"

"He's… well…" Teana brought to mind all she knew about Vice she had learned by being around him. "Well, he can be a bit childish… He likes teasing me sometimes, but he's generally cheerful. It's hard not to get along with him. But when he needs to be, he's strong and reliable. He's always offering me advice and watching over my growth. Now that I think of it, he was always there when I needed him…"

Teana didn't notice the far off gaze and the light smile she wore, but Laguna certainly did.

"Onee-chan, could it be…" She smiled. "You're in love with this person?"

"W-What makes you say that?" Teana sputtered. "I-I certainly respect him a lot, but… love? I…" She shrunk at the child's giggle. "I… maybe…"

"I'm sure he'll be happy." Laguna nodded for emphasis. "I'm sure."

Before Teana could respond, they heard approaching footsteps. Laguna sprang to her feet and looked down the hall.

"Onii-chan!" She called, waving her hand. So Laguna's brother was coming. Now Teana just had to wait for…

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Laguna."

Teana froze when she heard the familiar voice. It couldn't be…

"It's ok! I was talking with this big sister!" Laguna pointed to Teana.

"Thank you for keeping my litter sister compa…" Vice stopped when he rounded the corner. "Oh, hey Teana."

"S-Sergeant Vice…" Teana gawked. Wait, if Vice was Laguna's brother that meant…

"Did you come to pick me up, too?" He asked. "Thanks for the concern."

"Uh… no… think nothing of it…"

Laguna's gazed passed between her brother and the girl she had just met. "You know her, Onii-chan?"

"Yup. She's a junior in my division."

Laguna studied Teana again and gave a big smile. Teana thought it best to run away.

"I-I'll just leave you two alone now…" But she was stopped when Laguna took her hand.

"Why don't you come with us, onee-chan? We were going to get some ice cream!"

"Uh, I don't want to impose on sibling time…"

"It's ok! Right, Onii-chan?"

"The more the merrier." He grinned.

Teana knew she wasn't going to escape the child's pleading gaze, so she caved.

"If you don't mind having me…"

"Let's go then!" Still holding Teana's hand, Laguna grabbed her brother's and the trio headed out for frozen treats.


	9. Sin and Cyborg

It wasn't a rare occurrence that Vice found himself playing taxi driver. Being known as one of the best helicopter pilots in the Bureau saw him getting VIPs to where they needed to go all the time. Vice usually enjoyed it. It let him meet all sorts of interesting people.

But this trip had him awkwardly glancing at his passenger several times. It's not that he'd never flown with a sister from the Saint Church before. It's not that he'd never flown with an ex-con before either. That wasn't the problem.

The problem was that his passenger was Deed, the twelfth and youngest of the combat cyborgs.

The way she kept her back straight, her hands motionless in her lap, her disinterested expression staring blankly out the window, and her lips pressed flat and silent certainly wasn't helping the atmosphere. But what worried Vice the most was that the last time he had seen the pretty brunette, it was through the scope of his rifle.

Now, Vice was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Sure, they had been enemies once, but he knew how the girls had been reforming their ways. However, even if she was no longer a threat to society…

Vice did kinda shoot her in the face.

No matter what the reason, attacking a woman's face was a big no no. Vice recalled that Deed wielded some pretty nasty looking swords. If she was holding a grudge… well… He did not want to experience what it would be like to have those blades stuck up his ass.

To his fortune, Deed had never seen Vice before. So perhaps he was safe. He still felt overly cautious, but decided to try his hand at conversation.

"So…" He began. "What are you going to be doing at our destination?"

Deed slowly turned her head to him, met his eyes for a moment, and then slowly turned back. "I am running an errand of the highest importance for Knight Carim." She answered flatly.

"I see. What kind of errand?"

"That is classified."

"I-I see…" Vice wasn't very good with blunt, silent types. "Well, it's good that she can trust you with such an important task. How do you like working for the Saint Church?"

"I feel very honoured to have been allowed the privilege to be in the service of Knight Carim. Despite our past transgressions, my sisters and I have been treated with utmost kindness and respect."

"Good for you." Vice managed a smile. The cyborgs were unfortunate enough to be created by a whack job. They simply followed his orders. They didn't know any better. They deserved to have a second chance.

After being silent a moment, Deed surprised Vice by continuing. "If you had not been there to stop me, I do not know where I would be right now."

Crap, she did know it was him! Vice sweated a bit, thinking of those swords.

"Ah… so you knew it was me, huh…" He tried laughing. "Uh… Sorry about, ya know… Shooting you in the face."

"Do not apologise. I wish to express my gratitude towards you. Because of you and your comrades, many possibilities are now open to my sisters and I. I thank you." Deed bowed her head.

Vice breathed a sigh of relief. No swords would be entering his rectum any time soon. "Well, if that's the case," He grinned. "I'll gladly shoot you in the face any time!"

"…"

"… Ah! No, wait! That didn't come out right!"

A ghost of a smile graced Deed's lips. "What an interesting person."


	10. Sin and Progress

Alto had first met Vice when she was just a rookie. The first thing she remembered thinking was how tall and cool he was. He had flashed her a winning smile and welcomed her to the squad.

He then proceeded to ruffle her hair.

That set the basis of their relationship. Alto, determined to impress her senior, would do her best, and he would usually reward her with a pat on the head.

Part of her liked the attention he showed her, but another hated being treated like a child. He might have been several years older than her, but she wasn't a kid! Mentally, anyways.

Physically… well… Just by looking at Signum, Alto knew she stood no chance in that department. Alto had been jealous of the swordswoman, not only because of her body, but because of how well she got along with Vice. The sharpshooter had certainly idolized her, affectionately calling her 'nee-san.' All Alto could manage to get was a 'Little Alto.'

But he still took good care of her. Alto was a bit of a bumbler, and this made it open season on the rookie. She had been pushed around and ridiculed by the others. They called her useless and that she would only ruin the squad by being in it. Alto would steel herself and try not to let them get to her. She would pick up her scattered things and try not to give them the satisfaction of letting them see tears.

She was stunned when Vice jumped in and slammed the lead bully against the wall. He lifted the guy up by the collar and threatened to shove various things in various places if he ever caught another picking on her again. The bullies ran off and she never had a problem with them after that.

Vice offered her his hand and helped her off the floor. Alto still remembered the sensation of her hand in his. His grip had been firm, but gentle. His hands were so much bigger than hers. He smiled at her, asked if she was ok, and helped her gather the rest of her things. It was hard to believe that this man who was kindly grinning at her had been the same man who had fiercely defended her moments ago.

She might have merely been infatuated with him before, but she was knee deep in love now.

During free hours, Alto usually found him in the hanger. The sniper had a fascination with helicopters. Alto was delighted to discover they had a common interest, and would often have vivid conversations with him about the machines. He was always a lot of fun to be around.

Alto worked hard to spread her skills to as many fields as possible. On top of her communications officer training, she aimed to gather as many licences as possible, her pilot's licence in particular. After showing him such an impressive resume, she hoped that Vice might finally recognise her as an adult.

Her chance to prove her worth certainly didn't come under the best of circumstances. She had only gotten the chance to become Riot Force 6's pilot because Vice was injured in an attack. As she stood over his unconscious form, she vowed to do her best. When he woke up, she wanted to assure him that everything had turned out ok. She had been there to pitch in for him.

Now that she was older and a full time helicopter pilot, she finally had the confidence to confess her feelings to her sempai. But Alto had been shocked to find that she had a rival in the form of Teana. Alto wasn't sure if she could compete with the Enforcer on that level.

If Vice himself had any particular feelings for anyone, he didn't show it. So Alto assured herself that if she worked hard, and impressed him by how much progress she made with her piloting skills, she would win him over eventually.

But for now she frowned at her monitor as she watched him happily chat up Teana's aide, Runessa. Alto purposely took the next turn too sharply, causing the man to nearly fall out of his seat.

"Thanks for the crappy piloting! You keep shaking this thing, Little Alto!"

"Ye~s, will the baggage please stop complaining to the pilot?"

Well… Two steps forward and one step back is still progress, right?

* * *

I did say to expect some Alto/Vice, so here it is. I'll admit that I don't know Alto too well. What I have here is going off of what's in the manga, what little of her I remember from StrikerS, and parts from SSX. Well, minor, underdeveloped characters like Alto allow a lot of wiggle room anyways.


	11. Sin and Comfort

This chapter contains spoilers for Sound Stage X.

* * *

Teana sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was late and everyone else had gone home, but here she was, still filling out paper work. There was a lot of it after the whole Marriage thing. It didn't have to be filed right away, but the resolution of the incident still left a bad taste in her mouth. She wanted it to be done with so she could move on.

She really did like Runessa. She really did want her to become her permanent aide. But sadly, that was not meant to be. All their subsequent meetings would be at the penitentiary.

"It's not good for your health to work so late, you know."

Teana jumped a bit as Vice leaned over her shoulder.

"Sempai." She breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you." He said, studying her. She looked understandably down. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "How are you handling it?" He didn't need to specify what 'it' was. Vice only had a short conversation with Runessa, but she seemed nice enough. A tad awkward, sure, but certainly not a bad person. It sucked royally having to take her in. He could only imagine how Teana, who had been much closer to the girl, had felt arresting her.

Vice had to acknowledge how this girl who was his junior had grown into a fine woman. She had earned her black jacket, and seeing her handle this case showed just how capable she was. She was strong and beautiful. However, having to apprehend a friend must have still been hard on her. He hoped she wouldn't try and hold it all in.

Teana let her shoulder relax under his pressure. She felt better just knowing that he was there for her. She placed a hand over his and rested her head against his arm. Closing her eyes to savour the moment, she took a deep breath. "It sucks, but I'll be fine. Thanks."

They stayed like that in silence for an unknown duration of time.

"I still have forms to fill…" Teana said eventually, returning her hands to the keyboard.

"I'll stick around until you're done, Teana." He offered. "And treat you to a drink after."

She smiled. "I'm still underage, Vice-sempai."

* * *

Part of this was inspired by a scene in Gundam 00 with Klaus and Shirin.

And with this I am done. I did have an idea for a chapter with Dieci (my favourite Number), but it didn't end up coming together. So as it stands, this fic is 11 chapters long, which sucks because I hate odd numbers that don't end in 5. Perhaps a future chapter of Force will spark an idea. But until then, it's back to writing Yuuno fics! Whoo!


	12. Sin and Mornings

With this chapter I'm kicking the rating up to M just to be safe. There's no explicit sex acts, but there is a lack of clothing.

* * *

Vice groaned as the alarm clock next to the bed woke him up with its incessant beeping. Uttering a curse, he reached over and flicked off the device that indicated it was currently five am.

Frowning, Vice recalled that it was his day off and he had no need to wake up so early, but the same couldn't be said for his bed mate. His gaze shifted to the other person only to find her still sleeping peacefully, completely unperturbed by the alarm she had set for herself.

Annoyance was quickly replaced by mirth as he studied her sleeping form. Most of her body was covered by the sheet which was tightly tucked under her arm, but he still had a nice view of a little cleavage, fine collarbones, and a cute face crowned with a carrot top.

Unfortunately he couldn't leave her be too long, for Vice was well aware she would inflict plenty of pain if he let her be late for work. Even if that wasn't the case, she had worked hard to get where she was and he didn't want her record marred by tardiness. He reached over and placed a hand on her bare shoulder.

"Hey, Teana." He said, shaking her gently. "It's morning."

"Mnrmph." She mumbled something incoherent but did nothing more.

"You're going to be late for work." Vice tried once more, shaking her a bit harder this time.

She mumbled something again, but this time she turned so that her back was exposed to the man.

"Hey now…" Vice huffed before deciding to change his approach. Putting his hand to the small of her back, he gingerly walked his fingers up to her neck. "Wakey wakey."

He could feel her shiver slightly under his touch and he saw goosebumps appear on her skin, but the girl still didn't show signs of consciousness.

Deciding to go with a more direct approach, Vice leaned over her and gently nibbled on her ear. "Enforcer Lanster, it's time to deploy." He whispered in a husky voice.

"I'm launching…" She muttered as she raised her top side arm into the air before letting it fall. The action caused Vice to be brushed aside lightly as the momentum had Teana now on her back, still asleep.

Vice had been warned there would be days like this, but he didn't think it would be this bad. Normally she would only spend the night when she had the next day free, so today was the first time he had to deal with this.

But he was not worried, for he had been taught a secret technique for use in this exact situation. Seeing the way they gently rose and fell with her breathing was all the invitation his hand needed.

Teana let out a soft moan as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Lids half open, she only registered the blurry face of the figure beside her before her vision followed what appeared to be an arm that ended with a hand that was squeezing her chest.

Vice watched in amusement as the girl let out a surprised little yelp before rolling away and off the edge of the bed, taking the sheets with her as she fell to the floor.

"I see you're awake." He said simply.

"V-Vice?" She stuttered, her mind finally clear and remembering where she was. "W-What are you… That's sexual harassment, you know?!"

"That's not what you said last night." He gave a sly smirk. Vice never failed to find the way Teana would always get snappy when caught off guard absolutely adorable.

"I… uh…" Teana flushed and made sure to cover herself with the sheets in an attempt to regain some dignity. "You… Don't do stuff like that while I'm sleeping!"

"But that's just it. I had no choice since you just wouldn't wake up." He shrugged. "If you don't hurry up, you're going to be late."

"Oh!" Teana glanced at the clock and then back to Vice. "I guess I slept through the alarm… Thanks."

"No problem." He smiled and she smiled back but remained seated on the floor, looking at him. "What is it?" Vice chuckled, holding up his hand and flexing his fingers. "Would you rather skip work and we resume?"

The view Teana had allowed her to see that he was certainly up to making good on that offer, but she pried her eyes away and got up.

"You know I can't do that…" She grumbled before heading to the bedroom door.

"Then I'm going back to sleep." He declared, flopping down on his side and closing his eyes. Moments later he faintly heard the sound of the shower and about twenty minutes after that he cracked open one eye to see Teana standing over him in full Enforcer dress.

"I'll see you later." She said, bending down and lightly pressing her lips against his.

"Have a nice day." He said back. While in the process of righting herself, Teana moved her mouth over to his ear.

"… I'll try to get back earlier tonight." She whispered. "We can pick up from where we left off then."

"I'll count the hours." He grinned as she departed with a smile.

Later that day, it occurred to Vice he owed some one a call. When he placed it, it was quickly answered by a blue haired cyborg.

"Hey Vice, what's up?" She greeted.

"I just wanted to thank you for that trick you taught me." He gave her a thumb up. "Worked like a charm!"

Subaru gave a knowing grin and returned the hand gesture. "It never fails."

* * *

Yay! This fic is an even dozen now!

Teana's continually been shown having trouble getting up in the morning, so I wanted to play with that. Of course using Subaru's sure fire method was a must :D


End file.
